Wire-winding device



July 16, 1929., N. L. KUHLMANN WIRE WINDING DEVICE Filed Jan 16, 1928 an attachment mustnow already equipped with Patented July 16, 1929..

/ avatar NELSON I. KUHLMANN,

0F KERRVILLE, TEXAS.

VIBE-WINDING DEVICE.

Application filed January 16, 1928. Serial No. 247,200.

My invention relates to devices for winding wire about small elongated objects to secure them together. It has particular reference to a means of attaching splints of wood and the like to the stems of flowers. p

In the production of formal floral decorations such as wreaths and set pieces of various forms and the like produced by florists, flowers with short stems are employed but to properly attach the flowers to the support employed, it is customary to wire to the stems of the flowers, short splints of wood or other rigid material, one end of which is preferably sharpened. These splints are to be purchased a strand of fine wire secured to one end thereof. l hesplints are of about the size of a common parlor match with aflne wire wound about one end thereof, the wire extending from the splint being of sufficient length to be wound several times about the splint and the flower stems to which it is to be attached. The winding of thewire about the splint and the flower stem to form he done by hand and consumes considerable timef It is an object of my invention to provide a mechanically-operated means for attaching the splint to the flower stem quickly and neatly.

It is desired that the device be convenient to use and silent in its operation, and not liable to injure the operator in use.

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1

is a side view partly in central vertical section illustrating my device mounted ready for use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating a front elevation of the guard member of my device. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the part shown in Fig. 2. Fig. l is a front elevation of the rotating sleeve employed with my invention; and Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the manner in which the flower is attached to the splint.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a sleeve or barrel which is mounted for rapid rotation. The sleeve is of sufficient size to allow the ready insertion of the parts to be operated on, and the sleeve is provided with a slot to engage the wire employed on the splints and wind it about the parts to be con nected. In the drawing, the rotatable sleeve is shown at 1. This sleeve may be of fairly small size, being ordinarily about two inches in diameter, although the exact dimensions are not material. The sleeve is secured at its rearward end about a bushing 2, which telescopes within the sleeve and is secured thereto by anydesired means. The rearward end of the said bushing has a hub 3 thereon within which is secured the shaft a of some means of power. This may be a pulley or sprocket wheel or it may be the shaft of an electric motor 5, as shown. This shaft is held within the hub of the bushing by means of a set screw 6. V V

The sleeve is rotatable about midway between its ends upon a supporting post? having a bearing 8 therein to fit about therotatable sleeve 1. An oil delivery opening 9 in the upper side of the bearing allows the lubrication of the sleeve in. use. i

The forward end of the sleeve is provided with a slot 10, said slot being cut inwardly from the end and at a slight inclination or a spiral so as to better engage with the wire which is to be wound about the splint. This slot extends inwardly for a short distance, as shown in Fig. 1.

The forward end of the sleeve is housed within a guard member- 11. This guard has a cylindrical chamber 12 therein into which the sleeve 1 projects, therebeing a space between the guard and the sleeve allowing free movement of the sleeve and the wire which is to be engaged by the slot- 10. The guard 11 is secured to a bracket 13, secured to a base 1d upon which the device is mounted, said bracket extending upwardly the full height of the guard and having an openi'ngto receive the sleeve, as shown. The forward side of the guard is formed with a flange 15 which extends into the open end of the sleeve and serves to protect the user of the device fromaccidental injury. There is a slot 16 on the upper side of the guard extending from the forward end directly rearward to a point spaced somewhat from the rear end of the guard. This slot is flared or widened at 17 adjacent the forward end and the body of the guard is extended forwardly at each side of the slot so as to form in effect a pair of lugs 18, which act to guide the wire into the slot where it may be engaged by the slot 10 in the rotating sleeve in an obvious manner.

In the operation of my device, 'a-splint such as is indicated at 19 in Fig. 5, is used, with a wire 20 wound a few turns about the said splint at a point spaced from the blunt end thereof, the lower end'of said splint 21 being sharpened. The operator will place a flower or other similar part 22 with the stem thereof overlapping the end of the splint, as shown, and by grasping the flower and the splint at the upper end at the point indicated 16. As it moves into said'slot, it will be engaged by the slot 10 in the rotating sleeve and be wound quickly about the flower stem and splint so as to bind them securely together, the tension being determined by speed of r0- tation.

As the speed of rotation of the sleeve 1 is very high, it will be obvious that the wire will be wound about the splint and the stem almost instantaneously and the speed with which the flowers may be attached to the splints will be greatly increased. It is also an advantage in that the flower is not so apt to be mutilated or broken, and the winding of the wire about thestem is accomplished in a more regular manner'than would be done by the ordinary hand method.

' The device thus described is simple in operation and as it is mounted within the guard 11, as shown, there is no likelihood of the operator being cut or otherwise injured by the rapidly rotating sleeve. While I have shown and described my device as adapted to wind wires about the splint and the stem in floral designs of this kind, it is to be understood, of course, that the device is capable of application to other uses, and I do not wish to be confined to the particular use shown and de scribed herein.

Vhat I claim as new is:

1. A device for wiring flowers to artificial stems comprising a sleeve, means to rotate said sleeve, and an inclined slot in the forward end of said sleeve adapted to engagea wire and rotate it about the flower and stem.

2. A device for winding wire to connect objects comprising a sleeve, means to rotate said sleeve, and means on the forward end of said sleeve adapted to engage a wire to wind it about the articles being connected.

3. A device of the character stated comprising a sleeve, means to rotate said sleeve, a slot cut in theforward end of said sleeve adapted to engage a wire in the manner described, and a guard plate fitting over the said forward end.

4. A device of the character stated comprising a sleeve, means to rotate said sleeve, a slot cut in the forward end of said sleeve adapted to engage a wire in the manner described, and a guard plate fitting over the said forward end, said guard having a slot extending inwardly along said sleeve to receive said wire.

5. In a device of the character support, a hollow rotating member mounted thereon, a motor fordriving said member, the said rotating member having a wire-en gaging slot therein adapted when said member is rotated to wind said wire about the work, and a tubular guard enclosing the open end of said member and overlying said slot.

6. A device for wrapping wire about an object including, a motor driven rotatable stated, a y

sleeve, means on the forward end of said sleeve to engage a wire whereby upon rotation of said sleeve the wire is wrapped about an object inserted within said sleeve, and a guard member having aslot therein through which the wire is drawn by said sleeve.

7. A wire wrapping device including a sleeve for the insertion of the object to be wrapped, said sleeve to engage the wrapping wire, means to rotate said sleeve, and a guard member adapted to receive thGWile projecting from said sleeve and retain it in position adjacent said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 12th day of January, A. D.

NELSON L. KUHLMAN N 

